The present invention relates to a milk sampling device comprising a housing forming an inner space, an inlet opening to the inner space, a deflector member provided with an upper surface mounted in the inner space of the housing in a position below the inlet opening where it is configured to receive and temporarily accumulate milk entering the housing through the inlet opening, a flow passage formed between a periphery edge portion of the deflector member and an inner surface of the housing, and a milk sampling passage provided with at least one opening which constitutes a part of the flow passage.
Such a milk sampling device may be used to take milk samples of the milk flow in a milk line. The milk entering the milk sampling device hits the upper surface of the deflector member before it is directed radially outwardly towards a surrounding flow passage. A smaller part of the milk flow through the flow passage is guided into the opening of the milk sampling passage from which it is conducted to a milk sampling container such as a test tube or the like. The milk sampling device can be arranged into or in the vicinity of a milk meter in a milking stall.
The milk flow from an animal varies during a milking process. The content of substances such as fats, proteins, lactose, minerals etc. in the milk is not constant during a milking process. It has been verified by experiment that milk sampling devices of the initially mentioned kind discharge a higher percentage of milk to a milk sample at high milk flows than at low milk flows. In view of this fact, the milk sample will not always be representative with a desired accuracy for the whole quantity of milk obtained during a milking process.